I am a bit confused about this storyline. At the end of the episode, Lawrence asks Serena if she has expectations of him, and she answers no. (But I believe it is implied that she does.) What was he referring to? What would be her expectations? And I will be honest I didn’t really grasp why she and Lawrence spent so much time regarding Fred’s funeral, was it because Lawrence was the one most involved with Fred (and his death so he was interested)?

i notice while watching the show that of the marthas are woc. I always wondered if they would cook dishes from their own cultures or backgrounds. Like if a commander lived in a historically black or Asian community and had Asian marthas, would they cook Asian food? Given that gilead is a racist and white supremacist society, would the enjoy eating foreign foods or food that they might consider too "ethnic"? Would more diverse cuisines simply phase out of existence?

I think Janine has to be one of my fav characters so far. (s4e5).

The actress who plays her is really amazing, being able to play on vulnerability.

I like her character progression too. She goes from this badass, I don’t care kinda girl, (who I thought was gonna be a big part of the revolution, as much as June.), to this precious vulnerable girl who has almost been enfantalised. She has become soft and very manipulated from both June and Aunt Lydia. I think she portrays how a lot of us would be in their situation. She is always terrified but does what she has to, to survive.

But she is one of the stand out characters for me. I think it’s really easy to get attached to her as a character.

What are your thoughts on her?

Just finished S3 so no spoilers please <3

I feel so much sympathy for all the survivors of Gilead and their families..God I cant imagine how difficult it must’ve been. And ik this is just a show but I mean when actors play their role too good, what difference is acting from reality? Ik of course a whole lot but June Osborn is an amazing character (and actor) and i don’t think she has received much credit or respect for.
Anyway, i digress. I just wanted to ask if anybody else sympathize with Luke and how he has been dealing with all of it in the shadows? Ik June has been through worse but Ive got this feeling that they will end up separating..because of all their differences now and idk ig at this point in the show it seem as though June is still really traumatized and dealing with her own losses that her husband ‘before’ Gilead cannot possibly understand let alone help—as much as he tried. So it seems that she is still emotionally attached to Nick and feels ashamed for her brief past so she’s hiding the parts of herself that was bred in her by Gilead but instead thats causing an even bigger rift between her husband (Luke). Does anyone sympathize with him coz hell I do. Also i am not looking forward to discovering that after all that, Janine ends up dead like majority of Junes close friends from Glead..
In retrospect, I deeply sympathize and would understand both povs (Lukes and Junes) as they are both trying to navigate an impossible weight of pain and suffering. So ig some wounds need time to heal and that cant possibly happen overnight. However, Its just grievous how much ill Gilead sows in peoples hearts..not so different from the real world.
I have alot of thoughts on this show but safe to say it’s by far my favorite. The way the characters are so well played (or atleast for Junes character) and the way the story is just so humanistically gravitating, like some elements of the storytelling is just reality enacted on screen for many people around the world which is why it has a way of clinging to your heart.
Anyway, I appreciate your thoughts and thanks for reading my rant.

Hello all! My first time posting on this sub. Hope nobody’s asked this question before lol.

I knit and crochet, and am very familiar with both crochet and knitting patterns. All of the patterns i’ve seen and read/used have writing on them, whether it be stitch abbreviations or how to attach pieces or if to leave a tail/weave in ends.

In the book and in the show Serena is shown knitting baby clothes and other things. So, my question is, does she self-draft all of her pieces? Has she memorized patterns? Or am i reading into it too much because authors and showrunners don’t usually pay attention to accuracy when depicting fiber arts….

Hopefully i’m remembering all this correctly, finished the book a while ago.

Junes a legend. A badass. A Goddess. The moment. The way she just rescued all those children ‘of Gilead’..praise fucking be!!
I’m sorry but i just needed an outlet for thy at episode because it was just too emotionally riveting. Be prepared to cry happy ugly tears of joy.

Waterford is fine ass hell but such an ass. A fine as though.

When Emily and Janine were brought back from the colonies, I’m very curious on the impacts on their fertility. Clearly Emily was having symptoms of radiation poisoning, so how did Gilead plan to handle the possible birth defects of using radiated handmaids?

This may be really silly but in S3E6 Household when we see Christopher Meloni for the first time gave me chills. Like that’s Elliot. That’s a member of an elite team known as the Special Victims Unit. HES A GOOD GUY!

I’m just wondering if anybody else feels the same way. I’ve been on an SVU kick recently and it all feels tainted.

Finally sitting down to watch it- is anyone else seeing this? Lmao every time the characters talk it's a close up of one talking face and then the camera cuts to a shot of the other person. I miss S1-3's tableaus...

We know she committed suicide and it was implied by Serena it was his fault. Although we do not have much context about what all in went on, it was implied she probably went through the same. The only difference is the fact that even after June leaves he continues to finds way to see her. I've taken my ambien so I should be out soon, but love to hear your thoughts and opinions. He obsession with June baffles me.

Have you seen this Ad in YouTube? After watching the series, every time it shows up it gives me the creeps😬I imagine famous stars promoting Gilead way of life just because they are fanatics.

Hi!
I’ve juste gotten into the Handmaid’s Tale. I’m at season 3 ep11. And I just want some thoughts on a few things.

I kinda feel like we have to like June however I can’t make my mind up if she is likeable or not. Like she kinda feels unhinged most of the time. So I can’t tell if I like her or not. what are your thoughts on her?

She also seems to be the only handmaid who gets into such trouble like obviously she is the main character, but it seems like nothing goes on without her being involved if that makes sense? Like I feel we need more of the “female uprise” that is mentioned. Like more rebellious moments from others. As June seems to be the one and she gets away with a damn lot. It’s a slight inconsistency I feel.

And I also have a feeling about Aunt Lydia, like she’s not all bad. I’ve just seen her “before” episode and I seem like she’s not all evil. Like even when she’s with “her girls” she seems to regret and seems remorseful sometimes but then goes back to being a b*.
Do you think she’s all bad? Mind you I am just finish Season 3.

Thanks ☺️

Apparently, Serena Joy wears Dorothy Perkins!

https://www.dorothyperkins.com/product/coast-plus-2-in-1-wrap-dress-with-pleated-skirt_bcc12693?colour=powder+blue

Why would they leave June to sleep inside a hospital room across from Ofmathew for months..and not expect her to become psychotic. This has to end. For crying out loud wth
🤦🏽‍♀️

I watched seasons 1 and 2 when they came out, but recently revisited the series. I'm honestly surprised that the show has been largely competent and well done up to season 4 given how little source material they had to work with.

But like... In S5E5, June and Luke just waltz into gilead (while she still has her ear tag on) and think everything will be fine??? On the off chance that they get useful information about their daughter???? It just doesn't make sense to me 😭

Wow. What a hell of a show. This has been such a landmark series. There’s not many shows that I would consider a masterpiece but this is one of them. The depth of human connection, emotion and nuance of character are outstanding. It greatly saddens me that more of Junes original group survived to see the end.

This has been one of the best shows I’ve ever seen but don’t know if I have the heart to go throw it ever again. I need to read the book now and find my next watch. At least testaments is coming out now.

I've been thinking about Ofmatthew's final moments, and I honestly understand both sides.

June had every reason to resent Ofmatthew. She reported the Martha, which led to Hannah's Martha being executed, and June's hopes of getting closer to Hannah were shattered. In Gilead, that betrayal is devastating.

But I also think people overlook what happened afterward.

Once June learned what Ofmatthew had done, she completely isolated her. She encouraged the other handmaids to shun her, leaving Ofmatthew with no one. In a society as psychologically abusive as Gilead, that kind of isolation can push someone over the edge. It felt like the final straw that sent her into a complete mental breakdown.

What makes it more tragic is that I don't think Ofmatthew saw herself as the villain. She genuinely believed she was protecting June. From her perspective, June constantly took reckless risks that could have gotten her executed. Reporting suspicious behavior was exactly what Gilead had conditioned her to do, and she likely believed she was saving June from making an even bigger mistake.

That doesn't excuse what she did. Her actions had horrific consequences.

But June's campaign to ostracize her also had consequences. By the time Ofmatthew snapped, she had been stripped of any support system she had left.

It's one of the saddest storylines in The Handmaid's Tale because Gilead created both women. One became rebellious, the other became completely indoctrinated, and in the end they destroyed each other while the regime remained untouched.

I'm curious how everyone else sees it. Was June justified in shunning Ofmatthew, or do you think that was the point where things went too far?

This is a spoiler on episode 5 so if you hadn’t reached there yet i advise you to click off.
First of all i sympathize with Serena but I think she’s just as much delusional as her husband and the whole corrupt Gilead system is. Why is she so insistent that Nichole is HER child as if she was tortured into having her, raped and then by chance gave birth to her in a dingy fireplace? Like what?? That pisses me off because her insistence is exactly what leads to (or atleast my predictions) the REAL mother (ahem June) losing both her child and real husband. It’s honestly such a devastating tale..
To make matters worse in episode 5 she didn’t just get a request to fly to Canada and meet with Junes husband to bid her?? baby farewell but right afterwards they go on TV broadcasting June in the background asking the Canadian government to rescue their child?? Dawg this can’t be fr. I am filled with something of equal rage and pity for them.
I hope Serena comes to her senses soon enough and actually does something to help these imprisoned woman instead of just sitting there and wallowing over the loss of a child that she abetted into the rape of the mother to bring to life. Yet she cannot seem to see all the sacrifices June has made just to stay alive and see her daughter (Hannah) again. Its horrific.

Edit: lol somebody needs a break from Gilead.

God its just fucking sad.. cant stop crying throughout watching this show but I’m starting to see June from a different light and she’s a great character with all her flaws..she still amazes me at how selfless she is and emotionally resilient she has become under the oppressive Gilead regime. It’s just harder to notice with all the slop comments and bad reception this show receives but I think she’s actually a great character.

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First of all I wanna mention that I LOVED the book and read it within two days.

Now I want to watch the show and merely reached season 2 and I am already bored.

I am Gen Z and will admit that I might watch a bit too many reels, but I never struggle with finishing a book or movie. But the show and those dragged out scenes... I found it artistic in the beginning and I'm sure it serves the storytelling but the loooong close-ups of Junes face already start to annoy me.

Additionally: I am obsessed with Emilys Story, hoping for more backstories of Aunt Lydia and Serena! But I skip many of Junes scenes cause I really do not care about her character (yes I know she is the main character! ) which is odd because I rooted for her in the books and was fascinated by her story.

So why do I find it hard to follow Judes story? Is it cause her scenes are more artistic/longer and I can't focus anymore on this?! Or is it even internalized misogyny and I'd rather follow the story of women I personally find more attractive?! (Altho I am very interested in Aunt Lydias story and I wouldnt call her my type lol).

Did anybody else had these struggles with Jude/the main character?

What really set me off was the way commanders disregarded women and their suffering (what did I expect? They impose suffering on women).

First, when the commander learder of the eyes tells Agnus, his wife died when giving birth, and it was the hardest day bc he lost the baby.

Second, when the commander asshole was speaking about the molester slash dentist, what bothered him is that he got exposed, but he a good dentist, and they'll have to kill him.

The series was a nice watch, not quite like The Handmaid's Tale experience, but it's own thing.

However, I saw similarities between Daisy and June . Garth also reminded me of Nick a lot.

The Handmaid’s Tale is the most blatant showcase of white feminism not extending to black women I’ve ever seen, yet there’s been minimal commentary on it. It’s pretty interesting and quite disturbing. Not to mention it's a retelling of true events that predominately impacted black women.

(Point proven in the comments. If any POCs want to have an actual conversation about this feel free to dm me)

*I also love the fact people are writing nasty comments then deleting them or blocking me. I'm still being sent them.